On the deck of the ship, the urgent alarm blared, causing the women to pause their chatter in surprise.
"What's going on? Why is there an enemy attack?" Kalifa tilted her head, her delicate brows furrowing in confusion.
Sweetheart Queen crossed her arms, looking puzzled. "Since I boarded this ship, we've never been attacked. This is a first~"
Bakara exhaled a slow stream of smoke, her expression as calm as ever. "In the other three seas, no one dares to provoke us. But here in the weakest East Blue, someone actually has the guts to ambush us? How laughable."
Perona floated in the air, waving her tiny fists angrily. "How dare they destroy our directional bird?! Unforgivable!"
"Later, this princess will teach them a lesson! Let's see who dares to mess with us!"
Nami blinked her big eyes, stunned. "The directional bird is so small… How could they hit it from such a distance? That's unbelievable!"
Nojiko nodded in agreement. "The shooter must be a true marksman—a master of precision."
Reiju rested her chin on her palm, watching the man in the distance who was still swinging his sword. She smiled sweetly.
"Chris, aren't you going to check it out?"
No response.
Chris swung his greatsword one last time before sheathing it, then slowly closed his eyes.
Seeing this, Nojiko couldn't help but ask curiously, "What is Chris doing? It doesn't seem like he's thinking…"
"I know! I know!" Perona giggled mischievously as she fluttered around. "This is Observation Haki! Last time we encountered the Golden Lion's fleet, Chris did the same thing!"
Kalifa nodded with a smile. "That's right. Back then, I was just as confused as you are now."
At that moment, Chris opened his eyes, his expression as calm as ever.
"Let's go take a look."
He stowed away his crimson blade and strode toward the exit without another word.
Hearing this, the women immediately understood—the enemy this time was no ordinary foe. If Chris was taking action, the situation must be serious.
"Come on, let's all go see! It's rare for Chris to show interest in something!" Sweetheart Queen's eyes sparkled with excitement as she stood up.
Bakara smoothed her golden hair elegantly. "For this training maniac to stop and take notice… That's truly unusual."
Reiju glanced at Bakara with a faint smile. "Whenever Chris moves, it means something big is about to happen. This has already become a pattern."
Bakara chuckled. "Honestly, his personality is something I've never seen before. I've never met anyone like him."
"I'm really curious about Chris' childhood… But he never talks about it. All he says is 'training'."
Bakara took another drag of her cigarette, her tone teasing. "He must've been a very unlovable child. No doubt about it."
Kalifa giggled. "All children need companions. That's what makes a proper childhood."
"But Chris? Feels like he grew up in isolation, which is why he's so obsessed with strength."
As the women chatted and laughed, speculating about Chris, they made their way to the deck.
On the Deck
Burgess, the most hot-tempered of the crew, slammed his fists together, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Damn it! Who the hell dares to mess with us?! I'll crush them!!"
Doc Q, lying weakly on the deck, smirked. "How interesting… To think someone actually has the guts to ambush us."
"Looks like the captain's reputation isn't what it used to be. Maybe it's time for a change~"
Pearl's eyes flashed coldly as he stepped forward.
"This is the Chris Pirates. The captain can only be Chris. If the captain changes, this crew disbands."
"So, anyone can be replaced—except Captain Chris."
Since joining the crew and witnessing Chris' strength firsthand, Pearl had developed the same level of respect for him as Laffitte.
To him, Chris was irreplaceable.
Law, leaning against the mast with his cursed sword Kikoku, glanced toward the observation deck.
"That shooter's skill is no joke."
"We haven't even spotted them yet, and they already took out our directional bird from such a distance."
"No doubt about it—they're a top-tier marksman."
Hawkins flipped a card, his expression as deadpan as ever. "Whether they're a marksman or not, the fact that they fired that shot means they'll come to us sooner or later."
Laffitte twirled his cane gracefully. "No matter who they are, they're destined to become part of our collection."
"Our crew lacks a long-range fighter. This might be a good opportunity."
Suddenly, the alarm blared again from the observation deck.
"Target spotted! A young man on a small boat several kilometers away! Repeat—target spotted—!"
The lookout's voice trembled with shock.
Several kilometers away… and they still managed to hit the directional bird?!
This level of marksmanship was beyond terrifying!
Hearing this, the women were stunned.
Nojiko's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief. "Several kilometers?! How can someone see that far?!"
Bakara shook her head slowly, her face filled with amazement.
"That's terrifying… Absolutely terrifying."
"At that distance, we shouldn't even be able to see their ship, let alone the bird!"
Perona floated higher, scanning the horizon. "This princess can't see a damn thing! It's too far!"
Sweetheart Queen squinted at the endless blue expanse. "The lookout used a telescope. Without one, we can't see that far."
Nami shielded her eyes, straining to look ahead—but all she saw was the vast ocean.
Her expression remained shocked. "To think there's such a skilled marksman in the East Blue… I've never heard of anyone like this."
"It's just as Chris said—there's always someone stronger, and the world is far bigger than we know."
"What we've seen is just the tip of the iceberg."
Kalifa patted Nami's shoulder playfully. "You're our navigator. You'll be the one to guide us through the Grand Line's mysteries~"
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T/N:
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